{"id":75015,"date":"2019-10-21T06:46:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-21T10:46:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprofootball.com\/?p=75015"},"modified":"2021-03-12T16:46:32","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T21:46:32","slug":"nfl-week-8-spreads-game-picks-odds-over-under","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/10\/21\/nfl-week-8-spreads-game-picks-odds-over-under\/","title":{"rendered":"NFL Week 8 Spreads, Game Picks, Odds, and Over\/Under"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven weeks on NFL action are in the books, and Vegas just released<\/a> their NFL Week 8 spreads. Let\u2019s take a dive into each matchup, break down the games, and decide which side to bet on.<\/p>\n

NFL Week 8 Spreads, Game Picks, Odds, and Over\/Under<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Washington Redskins at Minnesota Vikings (-16.5)<\/h3>\n

Thursday Night Football is synonymous with bad games, and this should be no exception. The Washington Redskins have a strong case as the second-worst team in football, and they\u2019re going up against one of the hottest teams in the league. After coming out of the gate slow, Kirk Cousins<\/a><\/strong> has played like one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the past three weeks.<\/p>\n

The Vikings are going to win this, but it might not be by as wide of a margin as you\u2019d expect. Cousins is due for some regression, and he probably won\u2019t have Adam Thielen<\/a><\/strong> for this one. When factoring in the shortened practice week, this game could be relatively close.<\/p>\n

Pick: Vikings win, don\u2019t cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 40.5 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Cleveland Browns at New England Patriots (-10)<\/h3>\n

The Cleveland Browns need a get-right game, but that won\u2019t come against the New England Patriots. While New England\u2019s offense is still figuring things out, its\u2019 defense remains one of the elite units in the league. Baker Mayfield<\/a><\/strong> is struggling to read the field, and Bill Belichick<\/strong>\u2019s ability to draw up elaborate coverage should render Mayfield mostly ineffective.<\/p>\n

As far as New England\u2019s offense goes, it\u2019s never a good idea to bet against Tom Brady<\/a><\/strong>. Even at age 42, the six-time Super Bowl champion still has plenty left in his tank. This offense will figure itself out and play up to its potential sooner or later.<\/p>\n

Pick: Patriots win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 45.5 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at Atlanta Falcons<\/h3>\n

Matt Ryan<\/a> <\/strong>left Sunday\u2019s game with a left ankle injury<\/a> and is undergoing an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. The team doesn\u2019t believe this to be a serious setback, so let\u2019s make this prediction assuming he\u2019ll be on the field. Last week\u2019s dud was probably an outlier performance, as Atlanta still has the pieces to be one of the best offenses in the league. However, Ryan hasn\u2019t played up to his typical standards throughout the year. Because of this, he hasn\u2019t been able to successfully carry one of the worst defenses in the league.<\/p>\n

Seattle should move the ball up and down the field at will. Russell Wilson<\/a><\/strong> is playing like the best quarterback in football, last week\u2019s performance notwithstanding. Chris Carson<\/a><\/strong> is proving he was no one-year fluke, and Tyler Lockett<\/a><\/strong> simply cannot be covered by Atlanta\u2019s secondary. With or without Ryan, take Seattle and the points.<\/p>\n

Pick: Seahawks win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 54 [Pick: Over]<\/p>\n

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-1.5)<\/h3>\n

Something is wrong with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles entered the offseason with one of the most well-constructed rosters in the league, but Philadelphia hasn\u2019t played up to their talent. Carson Wentz<\/a><\/strong> is having a solid season, but the skill position players aren\u2019t carrying their weight and the pass defense cannot stop anything. The Bills, meanwhile, are essentially the AFC\u2019s answer to the Chicago Bears. They have an elite defense, a solid cast of offensive playmakers, and a bottom-five quarterback holding the whole thing back.<\/p>\n

At this point in the season, it\u2019s safe to say we were all wrong about the Eagles. This team isn\u2019t anything special, and they\u2019re traveling into one of the most difficult places to play in the league. As long as Josh Allen<\/a><\/strong> can take care of the ball and minimize bad decisions, the Bills should come out of this one with a victory.<\/p>\n

Pick: Bills win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 42.5 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Los Angles Chargers at Chicago Bears (-5.5)<\/h3>\n

The Los Angeles Chargers keep finding new and creative ways to lose football games. After their latest heartbreaking loss, the Chargers head east to take on the Chicago Bears, who are fresh off an embarrassing loss of their own.<\/p>\n

Chicago\u2019s defense is still great, but no defense in the world is capable of carrying this sorry excuse for an offense. Mitchell Trubisky<\/a><\/strong> should is not a starting-caliber quarterback, and Matt Nagy<\/strong>\u2019s scheme can no longer hide his deficiencies. This is a championship-caliber roster held back at the game\u2019s most important position, and the Chargers are better than their record would indicate. Look for the Chargers to bounce back against this struggling roster.<\/p>\n

Pick: Chargers win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 47 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

New York Giants at Detroit Lions (-7)<\/h3>\n

The Detroit Lions have to be one of the best two-win teams to ever make it into Week 8. The underlying numbers suggest that the Lions are pretty league-average<\/a>, so they are due for some positive regression to the mean. Matthew Stafford<\/a><\/strong> is having a fantastic season, while the defense is playing well in their second year under Matt Patricia<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The defense should have plenty of opportunities to make plays against Daniel Jones<\/a><\/strong>. Jones has shown flashes of great play, but he has no pocket presence and simply cannot take care of the ball. Patricia should have a field day testing his elaborate schemes against Jones, and Stafford should have no trouble connecting with Kenny Golladay<\/a><\/strong> and Marvin Jones<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pick: Lions win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 49 [Pick: Over]<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Tennessee Titans (-3)<\/h3>\n

The Tennessee Titans<\/a> are a walking enigma, and nobody knows what Jameis Winston<\/a><\/strong> is going to do on a weekly basis. This is one of the hardest games to predict, but I\u2019m giving the edge to the Buccaneers. Winston threw five interceptions in his last game, so he\u2019s probably due for a clean game. Additionally, Tampa Bay has one of the best run defenses in the league, and the Titans want to be a run-first team. Tennessee will probably stubbornly run the ball into a great defense instead of trying to take advantage of the obvious mismatch through the air.<\/p>\n

Pick: Buccaneers win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 46 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Denver Broncos at Indianapolis Colts (-6.5)<\/h3>\n

Jacoby Brissett<\/a><\/strong> keeps getting better on a weekly basis, while the Denver Broncos keep getting worse. Brissett finally has a full set of weapons, and the Colts defense is playing like a collective, cohesive unit. The Broncos, meanwhile, are a sinking ship who could very well trade away all their good assets by the time this game rolls around. Take the Colts and the points.<\/p>\n

Pick: Colts win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 43.5 [Pick: Over]<\/p>\n

Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Rams (-12.5)<\/h3>\n

The Los Angeles Rams haven\u2019t looked like themselves this year, but they\u2019re still capable of beating up on bad teams. The Rams shut down a powerful Atlanta Falcons offense while moving up and down the field effortlessly against their subpar defense. Cincinnati\u2019s defense is just as bad as Atlanta\u2019s, but the offense is significantly worse. Andy Dalton<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t good enough to carry an offense which features Tyler Boyd<\/a><\/strong> and nothing else worth mentioning. Look for the Rams to win this one in blowout fashion.<\/p>\n

Pick: Rams win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 47 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (-8.5)<\/h3>\n

The Arizona Cardinals are hitting their stride under head coach Kliff Kingsbury<\/a><\/strong>, but they\u2019re not quite ready for this. After an uninspiring first few weeks, Teddy Bridgewater<\/a><\/strong> is starting to look like a top 15-20 quarterback. He has what it takes to make the Arizona Cardinals defense look bad and should put up a good amount of points in this matchup. The Cardinals, meanwhile, need to take down a solid Saints defense. They should keep it close, but ultimately the Saints should prevail again.<\/p>\n

Pick: Saints win, don\u2019t cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 54 [Pick: Over]<\/p>\n

New York Jets at Jacksonville Jaguars (-4.5)<\/h3>\n

The New York Jets are a significantly better team than their record would suggest. You can\u2019t really take any of the Jets season-long numbers at face value when Sam Darnold<\/a><\/strong> only has one truly healthy game under his belt. In his lone healthy outing, Darnold completed 23 of 32 passes for 338 yards, two touchdowns and one interception against a solid Dallas Cowboys defense. He very well could struggle against New England, but he\u2019s proven capable of taking down average defenses.<\/p>\n

The Jacksonville Jaguars\u2019 defense isn\u2019t anything special without Jalen Ramsey<\/a><\/strong> around. Darnold should find success through the air, and Gardner Minshew<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t ready to go blow for blow in a shootout. Don\u2019t be surprised if the Jets pull off the upset in this one.<\/p>\n

Pick: Jets win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 41 [Pick: Over]<\/p>\n

Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers (-6)<\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s my biggest upset of the week: the Carolina Panthers are going to beat the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are undefeated thanks to a high-powered defense, but the offense leaves a lot to be desired. Jimmy Garoppolo<\/a> <\/strong>simply cannot recapture his 2017 form and has played like a below-average quarterback for most of the season. Kyle Allen<\/a><\/strong> is objectively the better quarterback in this matchup, and the Panthers have a strong, underrated defense. Given an extra week to prepare, the Panthers should hand the 49ers their first loss of the season.<\/p>\n

Pick: Panthers win<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 42.5 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Oakland Raiders at Houston Texans (-7)<\/h3>\n

The Oakland Raiders are more competitive than most expected, but they\u2019re not quite on Houston\u2019s level. Derek Carr<\/a><\/strong> is having a fine season by his standards, but the defense isn\u2019t ready to slow down an elite offense. Houston\u2019s offense might not be the best in the league, but it\u2019s a top-10 unit when Deshaun Watson<\/a><\/strong> is at his best. Even with Will Fuller<\/a><\/strong> questionable with a hamstring injury, the Texans should win this one comfortably.<\/p>\n

Pick: Texans win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 51 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Green Bay Packers (-3) at Kansas City Chiefs<\/h3>\n

Does Vegas know that Patrick Mahomes<\/a><\/strong> is injured? Andy Reid<\/a><\/strong> is one of the best offensive coaches in the league and is a master at scheming up open throws. This offense will still function without Mahomes, but Matt Moore<\/a><\/strong> doesn\u2019t have the ability to make this a top-five unit. The Packers, meanwhile, have their best defense in a decade and Aaron Rodgers<\/a><\/strong> finally looks comfortable in this offense. The Packers should blow the Chiefs out of the water in this one.<\/p>\n

Pick: Packers win, cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 51 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers (-16.5)<\/h3>\n

The Dolphins are still the worst team in the league, but they\u2019ve managed to look competitive in each of the past two games. Ryan Fitzpatrick<\/a><\/strong> has the ability to go supernova each and every week, even if he normally is a below-average passer. The Steelers have a great defense, but they have too many questions on the offensive side of the ball. Pittsburgh is going to send out either Mason Rudolph<\/a><\/strong> or Devlin Hodges<\/a><\/strong>, and neither quarterback inspires that much confidence. The Dolphins will keep the tank alive, but they\u2019ll keep it relatively close in the process.<\/p>\n

Pick: Steelers win, don\u2019t cover spread<\/strong><\/p>\n

Over\/Under: 43 [Pick: Under]<\/p>\n

Main photo:
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>